Thanksgiving

It's a day to overfeed myself, watch football and enjoy the company of my adopted family. Of course I have a standing invitation to my daughters. So I have an embarrassment of riches to be thankful for.

As I always write though, I am well aware so many of us under the transgender and LGBT umbrella don't have the benefit of joining their original families for the holidays.

Hopefully, most will have found some sort of support in their local LGBT local organizations, Not the same, to be sure but every little bit helps!

However this Thanksgiving finds you, I hope you are healthy and well fed.

Bunny Transgender Support

Forgive the use of the "transgendered" word in this cartoon...but it is old. Like me!

Thanks to Bobbie for sending it in.

Transgender Day of Remembrance

Here in Cincinnati, Ohio we are having two events to mark Transgender Day of Remembrance and the Trans Day of Visibility today.

As I have written many times here in Cyrsti's Condo, many of us can help each vigil along. Often in small ways from deep within our own closets. An example would simply to vote against the local and national bigoted candidates clogging the political system.

These days too, are a good time to remember all the trans women who have been murdered, for just trying to live as their authentic selves. From the top down in this country, people are trying to erase our very existence. It's always a good time to think about being careful.

But, proud and visible we are! The transgender tribe is getting stronger and stronger all the time. Even the younger generation is becoming more and more gender blind and accepting. Plus, finally, we are becoming a vibrant "T" in the LGBT coalition..

There is still a ton of work to do and we all must stay vigilant of those seeking to take our rights away or worse yet, even harm us. 

Now is a good time to pause for a second and remember all those we have lost and remember all the work yet to be done.

I'm Not Complaining

As we enter this holiday season, I know it is always a very sad time for many in the LGBT community. Although, at least where I live, there are several LGBT groups who host holiday "potlucks" where you are asked to bring a side dish. So at the least everyone has some place to go.

That is why I am writing this.  During my last post I was whining about the amount of cleaning we had to do for an approaching Thanksgiving dinner.  When I began to think about it, I started to realize what a blessing it was to be able to participate in a holiday family get together at all.

In my own family, I remain close to a very accepting daughter but I am equally far apart from my brother.

I know being totally accepted by an outside family is extremely rare and I am happy to participate. Plus, it is easy to take for granted having the money to go out and buy all the needed provisions to be able to be able to put on a holiday feast.

So a little bit of cleaning won't hurt me!

Sunday Thanksgiving March

I know it is the Sunday before Thanksgiving but already,we are staring major procrastinated cleaning projects around the house.

Yesterday was almost a wasted day for cleaning because of a trip to the store, karate practice for Liz and yet another heart stopping win by The Ohio State Buckeyes.

To keep it simple (stupid), I started the day in a pair of my leggings, thigh high boots and a nice sweater. Then, as the day progressed, I just down graded into a more comfortable older sweater. One fun part of the day was when I had a chance to search through some of Liz's older clothes she can't wear anymore because of her dynamic one hundred pound plus weight loss. I think I found a couple of nice outfits. One in particular is a silk like deep purple and blue top paired with a pair of silky black pants. It makes a very dressy outfit which perhaps I can wear to the transgender - cross dresser support group Christmas party we are planning to go to. Or even Liz's semi formal dinner we attend every year.

Well, now it is back to cleaning! Hope you all are doing well.

Winter is Here

Somehow, the fall of 2018 never really happened around here. As it turned out, no one bothered to tell the trees and our recent ice storm brought down many of them due to extra weight. Fortunately, I didn't have anywhere in particular to go yesterday, so I could stay snuggled in, in my warm "jammies."

Of course we had snow after the ice and I went the extra mile to pull out an extra warm sweater or two out of my wardrobe to wear this weekend. Again, I am fortunate in that my partner Liz is quite the knitter so I have plenty of warm scarves and even a pair of wrist warmers which I wore on my walk this morning.

Next week, as we approach Thanksgiving, we are having two events Tuesday here in Cincinnati marking Transgender Awareness and the Transgender Day of Remembrance. I should be able to blog more about them later.

I know for sure we have a meeting to go to tomorrow and for now Saturday night looks to be clear, unless we get any last minute invitations.

It is certain, my leggings, boots and sweaters will get a workout.

More Gender Dysphoria

Several days ago I wrote a post on Gender Dysphoria here in Cyrsti's Condo. Basically on the debilitating effects it has on many of us. Transgender or gender fluid. As with all of my posts, I value other thoughts. Connie has this one:

 FABULOUSCONNIEDEENovember 12, 2018 at 3:44 PM

"I've said it before, and it still holds true, I doubt I will ever live through a day without having some reminder that I am a trans woman. Even if I were to have nothing but positive experiences with the outside world, I will always have some degree of internalized transphobia.

Due to a couple of bad discs in my neck, I have lost the ability to do some things with my hands and arms. I have learned to compensate in order to do many of the ordinary things in my life, but I no longer can do the work that I used to do for financial security, nor can I play the drums at a professional level (something I attribute to having been my saving grace in dealing with my gender dysphoria over most of my years). My atrophied right arm and numb left hand are constant reminders of what I can't do anymore. I try to be positive, concentrating on doing other things that I still can, but it's difficult to maintain when I can't even eat a whole bowl of soup without getting fatigued and having the last spoonfuls drip more down my chin than making it into my mouth. It's not only frustrating, but very unladylike!

I don't think I had any more of a choice to transition as I did to develop my physical problems. Interestingly, they both started at about the same time, and learning to go through my life positively in spite of each of them has been a struggle. Nevertheless, I cannot allow myself to see either as a disability - even if there are others who would.

I think that getting used to whatever limitations we may have is certainly better than living in fear and despair, but we should never settle for giving in to them. I may realize that I can't pass as a woman any better than I can now pass a football, but I also know that I don't have to be defined by those things, either.

We shouldn't put so much pressure on ourselves. Doing so only robs ourselves, and any others who may care, of who we really are. "

Thanks!

Feminizing Medications

The last time I went to my therapist, she gave me an article which contained guidelines for the changes you can expect overtime when you decide to take hormones designed to feminize your appearance. They come from a group of Western New York organizations. Including the Gay and Lesbian Medical Alliance, the National Center for Trans Equality and others.

Here are the recommendations for feminizing HRT:

Breast growth - 3 to 6 months
Body fat redistribution - 3 to 6 months
Thinning of body hair - 6 to 12 months

Softening of skin/less oily - 3 to 6 months
Decreased testicular volume - 3-6 months

I would add from my own results, quite a bit of change is determined by how much your dosage is when you start. For example, nearly all of my first year on hormones was at a minimum and then a year later I was taken off my meds totally due to a medical problem. So. all together I have been on HRT for nearly five years. I would also add (for me) my hair growth (on my head) took off and finally after all these years I am starting to see fat distribution to my hips.

Of course emotionally, I began to feel the feminizing effects immediately. I cried more in the first three months or so than I had in my entire life. Finally, I learned how cis women deal with their thermostats. When they say they are cold, believe me, I found out they are and then again there were the vicious hot flashes one can go through.

When I talk about transgender women and HRT though, I always tell you all this disclaimer: Please seek medical attention before you undertake this process.

Additional information from where I received mine (including masculiniizing medications) can be obtained by going here: www.gayalliance.org.

Finally, remember too, HRT is no replacement for the woman you feel in your head. It's only a tool to align yourself, if you can safely do it medically.

Victory March?

At last night's transgender - cross dresser support group meeting, it occurred to me how long and drawn out process the journey is to cross the gender frontier and live with your gender dysphoria.

Last night, the full range of people were there. We had everyone from a total beginner to gender fluid individuals to full time trans women and a trans man.

As the beginner struggled with his/hers emotions and talked to the group, I remembered back to my ancient transvestite days when I first came out to a small group of friends. Rightfully so, it seems like it was long ago.

As most of you Cyrsti Condo regulars know, my journey includes several suicide attempts. One active and a couple passive ones. That is why I consider my path a victory march

I can't ever tell you it gets a whole lot easier but then again, life becomes so much more satisfying. A victory to be sure.